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G. YOUNG 81: G. 0. WILLEVER. AUTOMATIC MECHANICAL BLOCK RAILROAD SIGNAL.

No. 481,884. Patented Au 30, 1892.

(No Model.)

i h o (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. G. YOUNG & G. O. WILLEVER. AUTOMATIC MECHANICAL BLOCK RAILROAD SIGNAL. No. 481,884.

Patented Aug. 30, 1892.

GEORGE CURSON YOUNG AND GEORGE O. NILLEVER, OF PHILLIPSBURG, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO JOHN M. R. SHIMER, OF

SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC MECHANICAL BLOCK RAILROAD-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 481,884, dated August 30, 1892.

Application filed December 5, 1891. Serial No. 414,143. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Beitknown that we,GEoReE CURSONYOUNG and GEORGE O. \VILLEVER, citizens of the United States, residingin Phillipsburg, in the county of WVarren and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Mechanical Block Railroad-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a block-signal system for railroads and other purposes; and it has forits object to provide means which shall be mechanically operated by a passing train and which shall clearly indicate the entrance of a train upon a certain portion or block of the railroad and shall also indicate when such block is clear, as when the entire train has passed beyond said portion or block.

To these ends our invention consists in the features of construction, arrangement, and mode of operation, substantially such as are hereinafter more particularly pointed out.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein We have illustrated the general principles of our invention, Figure 1 is a side view representing a portion of a railroad embracing three signalposts, including two blocks. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a side view of the compensator. v

In the large and increasing business done on railroads it has become necessary to provide some means by the aid of which the engineer of a train or other person can readily determine the condition of the track ahead of him in regard to other trains, and various means have been suggested whereby this can be accomplished. It has been common to divide the railway track or way into a series of sections, ordinarily known as blocks, and to provide signal devices which shallindicate to an approaching train whether the preceding block orblocks are clearthat is, whether the preceding train has passed beyond said block. It has been proposed to operate these signal devices by the aid of electricity for various purposes; but owing to the well-known uncertainties of operation of electrical appliances their practical use to any great extent is objected to, and efforts have been made to provide mechanical devices which shall be operated, preferably, automatically bya passing train and which-shall indicate exactly the condition of the preceding and succeeding block or blocks of the approaching train.

Our invention has for its object, primarily, to provide means whereby this may be accomplished, so that whether the preceding block or blocks are perfectly clearor not will be determined with safety; and a further object of our invention is to provide means for accomplishing this result which shall be exceedingly cheap, simple, and effective, being positive in their movements and capable of being automatically operated by the passing train.

WVith this general statement in regard to our invention we will now proceed to describe its embodiment, as illustrated in the accompan ying drawings, so that those skilled in the art will be enabled to apply and use the prinples of our invention.

In the drawings, A A represent the rails of an ordinary track, and arranged at suitable distances along said track, and preferably at one side thereof, are the signal-posts B BB &c., which posts represent the terminals of the respective sections or blocks of the track. Mounted on these signal-posts are some proper signal devices, and we have represented ordinary semaphores O O 0 although it is evident that other specific signal devices may be used. These may be provided with suitable lamps or other means for signaling in the night-time; but for the sake of clearness we have simply shown the semaphores as pivotally mounted on their respective signal-posts and as being connected by rods or bars D D D to suitable levers E E E These levers are preferably weighted, as indicated, so that when they are free to move the semaphores will be automatically set to danger, so that in case of accident or failure to operate on the part of the signal devices the section of the road will be blocked automatically until the fault is found and remedied. In order to operate these semaphores, we connect these levers E by means, for instance, of a rod or rods F with cross-levers G G G 850., and these levers are pivotally mounted in suitable sup ports H arranged adjacent to one of the rails of the track, and are so arranged that the long arms of the lever shall be connected to the semaphore-levers, while the short arms shall be arranged to be operated upon automatically by some suitable device intermediate of said ends and the passing train. In order to provide means for operating these levers, it is desirable that some arrangement should be made which can be readily applied to existing roads without requiring any specific form or construction of rails and which shall interfere in the least possible manner with the strength of the rails. In order to accomplish these results, we provide rail-levers II H H 8.50., which are shown as plates having a curved upper surface h and as being pivoted to the rail, as at h, while the free ends are provided with tongues or projections 7L2, which are arranged to bear upon the levers G G, &c. These rail-levers are made of a considerable length, so that when they are in a position to be struck by the locomotive or other portion of the train and to operate the semaphore they will present a gradually-inclined raised portion, over which the train will pass and by means of which the semaphores and their con nections will be operated with a comparatively slow but continuous movement until they are properly set. By this means we avoid the danger of breakingor injuring the semaphores by too sudden impact upon the operating mechanism by a swiftly-moving train. When the levers are in their depressed condition, their lower edges willlie parallel to and practically upon the upper edge of one of the flanges a of the rails A, while the tongue or projection 7L2 of the levers will extend through cut-away portions of the flanges and will bear upon the signal-operatinglevers. In this way it will be seen that it is only necessary to remove a slight portion of one of the flanges of a rail in any existing track and to perforate the web thereof for the reception of the pivotpin h, in order to apply our invention thereto. In applying these rail-levers we preferably make use of filling-pieces A which fit into the sides of the rails between the flange and tread, thereby providing an even smooth surface, against which the rail-levers bear.

In order that a semaphore at the block-station in advance or in the rear of the train may be suitably operated by the rail-lever at that point, we connect the semaphores between the signal-posts by means of a chain, wire, rod, or similar device J, the ends of these rods being flexible and adapted to pass over the guide-pulleys K, which may be mounted upon the signal-posts. As the distance between two signal-posts in some instances is quite large, in order that any slack or stretch of these rods or ropes may be taken up we provide suitable compensator-s L, which may be of anysuitable construction, the preferred form being illustrated more particularly in Figs. 2 and 4, in which there is a weighted lever Z, provided with a friction-roll Z, arranged to bear on the underportion of the wire or connection J, which at this point is passed under the bearing pulleys or wheels J. It will readily be seen that the weighted lever will operate to take up any slack in the connection J and avoid anylost motion therein, so that the semaphore at one station may be readily and positively operated by a lever at another station.

If it were only necessary to set the semaphore or signal to danger as the train enters a block, only a single rail-lever would be necessary. Thus at the station or block 1, which is represented as the beginning of the block system, we have provided only a singlerail-lever II, as it is only necessary that the train in passing shall insure that the corresponding semaphore 0 shall be set at danger. hen, however, it is desired that this signal shall be set at safety when the train has passed out of the block guarded thereby, it is necessary to provide other means located at the station 2, which shall operate the signal at station 1 and set it to safety. To do this, we provide at all the intermediate stations two rail-levers, as H I and H I, and these latter raillevers I I are preferably placed outside of the first series of rail-levers H I1 and while they may be mounted upon the same pivot they are preferably made longer and are arranged to bear upon the levers M M, which are shown as mounted so as to operate at the'other side of the posts B B from the levers G G and are preferably provided with weighted levers N N, to which the connections J are secured. The rail-levers H are arranged in such relation to the tread of the rails that the ordinary flanged wheel of the locomotive as it approaches the station will depress these levers in a gradual manner and leave or set the semaphore to danger, and by suitable connections (indicated by the dotted lines 0) it can be arranged so that the semaphore at the next preceding station shall be set at danger. While this is an advantage in some instances, as in single track lines, as a rule we prefer not to operate the preceding semaphore corresponding to the block into which the train is passing.

It is well known that oftentimes a train becomes parted, so that while the engine passes on beyond a block one or more of the cars remain, and of course is a source of danger to a succeeding train; and it is one of the essential objects of our invention to so arrange the parts that the semaphore shall not be set at safety at any block until the whole of the train has passed out of said block and it is entirely free for the next comin g train. To accomplish this, we arrange the safety-setting raillevers I at a suflicient distance from the tread of the rail to prevent their being operated by the ordinary flanged wheel of the engine or cars, and we provide a broad-tread Wheel in the case of a freighttrain or coal-train where it is usual to have what is known as a caboose or guardcar at the rear thereof, and this broad-tread wheel of the caboose will operate to set the signal to safety, and not until the caboose has passed out of the block will this opera tion take place. Such broad-tread wheels can take the place of two of the ordinary wheels of the caboose, one being arranged on each side, so that one or the other will operate the signals regardless of the direction in which the caboose is moving. In passenger-trains, on the contrary, the cars are coupled together indiscriminately, so that it is necessary to provide the cars with some sort of a mechanism which can be readily adapted to operate the devices to set them at safety as thelast car of the train passes out of the block, and while various appliances may be used we have shown an arm P, which is permanently attached to the frame of the truck Tand which is properly braced thereto, and at its free end has a pin 19, adapted to receive and hold a wheel Q, which is preferably of about one-half the diameter of the ordinary wheel. As one of these armsP is secured upon each side of each car, it can be readily seen that by simply attaching the wheel to the proper arm of the last car of a train the signals will only be set to safety when said wheel passes over the corresponding rail-leverI and the block is entirely free for the passage of the incoming train.

Such being the general construction and arrangement of our invention, its operation will be understood from the drawings and may briefly be stated as follows: In the normal condition of the line all the semaphores are set at safety and all the rail-levers H H, &c., project normally above the treads of the rail, and as soon as the engine approaches the block the rail-lever H is gradually depressed and the corresponding semaphore O is set to danger, and the train passes through the block until it reaches the next signal-post B, where the wheel passing over the rail-lever H sets the semaphore C to danger, or in the modification suggested it may in some instances set the next succeeding semaphore to danger also, and the first semaphore still remains at danger. If, for instance, the train has passed and the caboose of a freight-train or the last car of a passenger-train still remains on the block between the signal-posts B and B, the semaphore O at the first station would continue to show danger, but if the train has passed properly, the broad wheel W on the caboose or the small wheel Q on the rear passenger-car will come in contact with the track-leverl at station E and these will operate through the medium of the lever M and the connection J to positively restore the semaphore O to safety position, and the engine of a train approaching this signal-post will know that the block ahead is free, the whole of the preceding train having passed out of it. This operation will continue throughout the system of blocks, it

being understood that the first wheel of the locomotive will set one or more of the semaphores to danger, while the last wheel of the train will restore the preceding semaphore to a position of safety as it passes a given signal, and unless the rear portion of the train safely passes the preceding station will show danger.

It will be observed that all the operations, both in setting the semaphores to danger and to safety, are positive in their action, and that the operative parts of the signal are exceedingly simple in construction, cheap of manufacture, and can readily be applied to roads alreadyin existence, so that the initial cost of introducing the system is comparatively small.

It is evident that, instead of the semaphore or in connection with the semaphores shown herein, we may use other signal devicesas, for instance, an audible-signal device in the shape of a gongbut as these signals form no part of our present invention they need not be particularly described, it being evident that they may be used to meet the desires of any particular conditionsas, for instance, an audible signal may be used in case of fog or other interference with the ready sight of the semaphores.

What we claim is- 1. The combination, with a series of signals arranged along the track, of two series of raillevers pivotally mounted on the rails, one series being arranged within the tread of the ordinary Wheel to be operated by the engine and the other series being arranged beyond the tread of the ordinary wheel to be operated by the passage of the rear car of the train, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with aseries of signals arranged along the track, of two series of raillevers pivoted to the rails, one series being arranged within the tread of an ordinary wheel to be operated by the engine to set the adjacent section to danger and the other series of levers 'being arranged without the tread of the ordinary wheel and connected to the signal at the beginning of the block through which the train has passed to operate the signal to safety as the rear car of the train moves over said levers, substantially as described.

3. The combination,with the rail, of two series of rail-levers mounted on the same pivot and connected directly to the side of the rail and each having curved portions projecting above the tread of the rail and a tongue or projection extending below the flange of the rails, one of the levers of each pair being longer than the other, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the rail, of two series of rail-levers pivotally attached directly to the rail, but at different distances therefrom, a series of signal-posts arranged along to said lever, and connections between the sig nal on the next preceding post and the outer lever, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a series of signalposts arranged along the track, of two series of rail-levers pivotally connected to the track, one series being within the tread of an ordi nary wheel and the other series beyond the tread, connections between the inner lever and the signal on the adjacent post, and connections between the outer lever and the signal of the next preceding post, the respective connections being on opposite sides of the post adjacent to the levers, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a series of signalposts arranged along the track, of two series of rail-levers pivotally connected directly to the rail, a lever G, connected to the signal adjacent to the track and arranged to be operated by the inner track-lever, and a lever M, arranged to be operated by the outer tracklever and connected to the signal on the next preceding post, the arrangement being such that the inner rail-lever will be operated by the passing of an ordinary wheel, while the outer lever will be operated only upon the passing of a special wheel projecting beyond the tread of the ordinary wheel, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the rail, of a tracklever pivotally mounted on said rail, afillingpiece between said lever and the web of the rail, the lever being within the tread of an ordinary wheel, and another track-lever mount- 3 5 ed upon the same pivot and arranged outside the tread of an ordinary wheel and adapted to be operated by a wheel having an extended tread, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with the signal-posts 40 carrying semaphores arranged along the track, of the track-levers II and I, pivotally connected to the rail, one of the levers being longer than the other and outside the tread of the ordinary wheel, the levers G and M re- 45 spectively operated by the track-levers, connections between the lever G and the semaphore C adjacent to the track-levers, and flexible connections between the lever M and the next preceding semaphore, and a take-up 5o device for said flexible connections, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of the subscribing witnesses.

GEO. GURSON YOUNG. GEORGE O. VILLEVER. 

